Hindemith Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 11 No. 4

Paul Hindemith was born at Hanau, Germany on 16 November 1895 and died in Frankfurt, Germany on 28 December 1963.  The Sonata for viola and piano, Op. 11 No. 4 was written in 1919 and was premiered on a concert in featuring Hindemith’s works on 2 June 1919 with Hindemith on viola and Emma Lübbecke-Job at the piano.  The Sonata for Violin and Piano Op. 11 No. 1 (also performed by Hindemith), String Quartet Op. 10 and an unfinished Piano Quintet in E♭ were also featured on the performance.  The concert was such a resounding success that it led to the publication of what is now known as Hindemith’s Op. 11 set:  Op. 11 No. 1 and 2 (sonatas for violin and piano), No. 3 (sonata for cello and piano), No. 4 (sonata for viola and piano), No. 5 (sonata for solo viola) and No. 6 (sonata for solo violin).  This publication of a set of  six works under a single opus number was a conscious decision to historically reference the works of the Baroque and Classical eras and reveals much about Hindemith’s aesthetic at this time.

This sonata is the first of three that Hindemith wrote for viola and piano (the others are Op. 25 No. 1 and one written in 1937).   Influences of earlier composers such as Brahms and Reger are evident in the piece.  Debussy’s influence is also present.  While Hindemith was serving in the military during World War I he formed a string quartet; this quartet was playing Debussy’s quartet when news of the composer’s death was broadcast on the radio.  Hindemith describes the event:

We did not play to the end. It was as if our playing had been robbed of the breath of life. But we realized for the first time that music is more than style, technique and the expression of powerful feelings. Music reached out beyond political boundaries, national hatred and the horrors of war. On no other occasion have I seen so clearly what direction music must take.

Elements of Debussy’s solo string sonatas and quartet are found in the sonata, especially the opening movement.  The first movement serves as a prelude to the last two movements; all three are played without interruption.  The second movement is labeled as a theme and variations; the simple folk-like theme, full of melancholy (labeled “Quiet and simple, like a folk song” in the score), is stated at the outset and four variations follow.  The third movement is in sonata form but is linked to the second movement in that more variations of the second movement’s theme are stated during the third movement (variations five and six of the theme serve as a substitute for a development section in the third movement and variation seven serves as the coda).  

-Program notes by Dr. Daniel Doña